Rivers: Police Nab Three Officers Over Landlord’s Murder

     Mohammed Shosanya

Sequel to the protest that rocked Woji community in Obio Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State on Monday by some angry youths following the killing their kin identified as Nyebuchi Eke, a landlord, three Police officers accused of being involved in the crime have been arrested.

The arrested officers were said to have arrested the deceased from his residence following an altercation he had with his tenant whose name is yet to be ascertained.

After late Eke threw his tenant’s personal belongings outside a rented apartment in Woji community on Saturday, the tenant was said to have invited his brother, a policeman to arrest his landlord.

Although it is still unclear what caused the landlord’s death, it is speculated that it may have been as a result of torture that followed his arrest.

It took the efforts and pressure of the community monarchs to prevail on the said policemen to reveal the whereabouts of the landlord, where it was recovered from an uncompleted building in Chokocho in Etche Local Government Area of the state.

In an attempt to quell the protests, the state Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, visited the community on Tuesday, assuring that justice was going to be served in the matter.

Addressing the widow of the slain landlord as well as the youths, the CP said, “Justice will be served. Those involved have been arrested and investigations are ongoing. I assure her [Eke’s widow] justice will be served.

“As for the youths, the elders have spoken. Let us give peace a chance. This is what the IGP has been talking about, partnering with the community and stakeholders.

“That has made it easy for us to solve this issue at hand. The elders and traditional rulers came out and assisted the police in dousing the tension.”

Wife of the deceased landlord on her part pleaded that justice be done in the matter.

“My husband was killed by a Policeman. I need justice! My children are now fatherless and I have no helper anymore. Sir, give me justice!” she pleaded.

Meanwhile, the elder brother of the deceased, a former Chairman of Obio-Akpor LGA, Solomon Eke, told journalists that three Police officers allegedly involved in the crime had be arrested.

“The tenant went to his brother, who is a Policeman, not even incidenting it properly at the Woji Police Division. He just went to his brother to ask him to help him deal with his landlord.

“The police just went there and started manhandling him with the help of the tenant and that led to his death. We have seen the injuries on his body. The DPO of Woji wasn’t aware that this act had been done by the men of her division, but the three policemen have been arrested and they’re in detention. The complainant is also in detention.”